Love, Hate, and the Agony InBetween
by The Black Rose 1995
Summary: Sakura and Hinata left Konoha years ago and pretty much vanished off the face of the earth. People moved on. But no one was expecting them to show up again when Akatsuki and Konoha make an alliance, and things are about to get very interesting in Konoha.
1. The Higher You Are

**Love, Hate, and the Agony In-between**

_EDIT 2/9/14: I've gotten rid of a few of the OC's who didn't make the cut when I was re-writing my plot plans. They just weren't needed and I want to avoid using them. Also cleaned up the spelling and grammar a bit.__ This chapter was originally written on __Aug 31, 2011. Wow._

**Hello, and welcome to the rewrite of The Good Girls That Went Bad. How do you like the new title?**

**Warning: Changing of Character Personalities, Some Characters Created by Yours Truly, Maybe a Mention of Slash Later in the Story (still unsure but if you have a request I can try to put it in), and Slight Doses of Crack. I think that's it . . .**

**If I owned Naruto, Sasuke wouldn't be evil and he would drop the 'I-Must-Kill-My-Only-Living-Relative' thing. But I don't own Naruto, and Sasuke isn't my character.**

**Chapter One- Already Gone  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Sakura Haruno<strong>

Sakura Haruno had once been a respected shinobi of Konoha. She had once been thought of quite highly in the minds of her fellow shinobi, having been trained by the Hokage herself. She was once a friend to all and many wished for her strength, both emotionally and physically.

But that was then, and this is now.

Now, Sakura Haruno was walking up the stairs that would take her to her teacher's office. The day hadn't been the best for her.

A week prior to the day, she and her best friend Ino Yamanaka, a fellow shinobi from a small but strong clan, had made plans to spend the day together shopping and possibly getting a bit of pampering at the spa or hot springs on their days off, but Ino had canceled at the last minute, saying that she and her boyfriend were going on a surprise picnic and that the rest of her day was full. Sakura couldn't help but be a bit mad at the blond for the sudden change of plans, especially when said blond had been making a habit of it for the past month.

So, with her morning empty and nothing to do, she had decided to spend a bit of time with her close friend Hinata Hyuga. Hinata had been having a sparring match with her elder cousin, the genius prodigy of the Hyuga clan, Neji. She stayed to the sidelines and watched the fight from the shade. This sparing match was a far cry from the battle the cousins had had during the Chunnin exams so long ago. Hinata was able to hold her own against her cousin now. She had learned grace and speed through the years and it made her battle look like a dance.

Amaya Hyuga, a relative from the main house and a friend of Neji and Hinata, noticed Sakura and asked her to join them for a late breakfast, gaining Hinata's attention. Interrupting the fight with a cheerful yell and an invitation for Hinata and Amaya to join her on a walk around the village shops didn't take long. Hinata had eagerly accepted, grateful for the break, but Amaya had plans to help Sasuke Uchiha move into his old house, so the two younger girls had left.

It was on that walk that Sakura found her boyfriend of two months, Kiba, in a sweet kiss with a pretty blond. It hurt pretty bad when she realized that said blond was a co-worker at the hospital. She was pretty sure that Kiba's face hurt even more after she had gotten through with him though. She is willing to admit that she had gone a bit over board, had caused a big scene with all her yelling, and may have terrified Akamaru when she snarled at them. If Hinata had not managed to calm her down when she did, Sakura is fairly sure that more than Kiba's nose would have been broken.

Sakura wasn't exactly _hurt_ by Kiba's betrayal. They had never been serious about each other and, truth be told, Sakura had been expecting such a thing. It was the fact that Kiba would actually prefer that quiet, modest, little civilian Riku over Sakura. Riku, with her curly blond hair and her pretty brown eyes and her cute laugh.

'_What is so amazing about Riku anyway?'_ Sakura thought. '_Riku is hardly even above academy standers when it comes to strength and chakra skill. I guess that she is a good nurse and she's studying to become a civilian doctor and she is really very cute, but I'm a better one and I'm just as attractive as she is!'_

'_**Damn right we are!' **_Inner Sakura added. Sakura let out a short huff in aggravation. Even if it was nearly four hours ago and Sakura herself had calmed down (to a degree), Inner was still spitting fire. Sakura wasn't sure if it was a good thing, bad thing, or something to worry over. It showed that she and Inner were starting to differ, if only slightly. Inner was a grudge holder, she could remember things from infancy, she was always eager to fight, and she was always one to, ahem, _appreciate_ an attractive male (Sasuke Uchiha) from the village. Sakura had slowly matured through the years, she learned to let go and let bygones be bygones, she had to rely on Inner to remind her of most social appointments since her memory always spaced them out, she had learned to hold herself back and let rational thinking take place, if only for the briefest second, before she charged into battle, and she knew that her life was far too busy at the time for a serious relationship.

In truth, Sakura was a bit scared of the changes. Inner had always been like her, always. Inner had been the part of her that held her back from, Inner was the part of her that spoke her true thoughts; Inner was a part of Sakura, and for Inner to start changing like this scared her.

Shaking her head to lose those thoughts, Sakura continued on her walk to the Hokage's office. Even though it was barely noon, she felt tired. She wanted to go home and sleep. She didn't want to train with Tsunade today; she just wasn't up to it.

'_**We have already missed the last three training sessions, Tsunade's mad enough!'**_ Inner told her, a slight hint of fear in her voice. Sakura wanted to groan, but she held it in. Complaining would get her nowhere. Sakura turned and came to the door of Tsunade's office and heard a muffled voice saying something along the lines of 'Excellent' before she entered.

"-ent, Akima, Excellent!" Tsunade praised softly. Her hazel brown eyes examined the brown rabbit who sat on her desk with a small patch of blood on its back. Tsunade brushed the soft fur aside to check for any mistakes, and then used a swipe of her chakra to make sure. "You did wonderful. And you say you have never had training?" Tsunade leaned back on her chair, making herself comfortable.

"No, madam Hokage, I have not. The village I came from was a non-shinobi one," Akima said sweetly.

Akima Niwa, age nineteen, had come to the village about a year ago, after deciding to leave her home village to explore and travel. When she came to Konoha, she became fond of the village and decided to settle down here. She soon gained an innocent reputation for being a shameless flirt and a not so innocent one for being a home wreaking bitch, enchanting men all over the village with her dark brown eyes, long curly red hair, and curvy body.

"You did wonderfully, Akima," Shizune, who stood to the side with TonTon in her arms, added in. "With a bit of training, you may even surpass me and Sakura."

'_**Oh **_**Hell**_** to the No!'**_ Sakura couldn't help but totally and utterly agree with Inner.

After that pleasant little comment, Sakura fully entered the office. Her head was angled downward enough so that the other occupants of the room wouldn't see the chaotic mix of emotions otherwise known as her eyes and made sure the door made a noise when she closed it. She risked a short glance upward to see if her presence was noticed, and was pleased to see that it was.

"I apologize, Tsunade-Sama, I didn't know that you were having a meeting. Do you want me to come back later?" Her voice was nothing but politeness and sweetness. She plastered a small, slightly embarrassed smile on her lips. She kept her eyes trained off the side.

"No, Sakura. We are done here. Akima, I will notify you later about what time your lessons will be."

Akima slowly drew a deep breath in, her brown eyes becoming a bit larger as she did so. The red head then let out a short, but high pitched, scream and clapped her hands together while she jumped up and down a bit. Tsunade and Shizune watched in amusement, Sakura in annoyance; the girl should know how to control herself, if only a bit, when she stood before the Hokage. Akima soon stopped her jumping and clapping, instead covering her full lips with one hand, fanning herself with the other, and thanking Tsunade a dozen times.

Tsunade chuckled a bit before she waved her hand at Akima, silently telling her to leave. Akima did so quickly; her amazingly cute black heals clicking as she ran down the hall. _'Probably eager to tell her friends the good news.'_

"_**Friends'? Is that what they call them these days?'**_

"Sakura, I am surprised that you showed up this time." There was a disapproving tone in the busty woman's voice.

Sakura kept her eyes down when she spoke. "I apologize for not coming in the past few days. It well not happen again." There was a long pause after Sakura's short apology. Tsunade then huffed, sounding agitated and Sakura knew she was probably wishing for a bottle of sake. "Look at me now, Sakura."

Sakura wished she had ignored the direct order. Tsunade looked like she was about to give a suicide mission to someone.

"You enjoy being a medic nin, right?"

"Of course, Tsunade-Sama." Sakura said slowly. She didn't like where this was going.

Tsunade stood from her desk and turned to look out the large windows of her office, her reflection showing a stern and youthful face. "With how you have been acting the past few days I question if you do. You have been missing training sessions with me and Kakashi tells me that you have recently been slaking on missions."

Sakura tried to ignore Inner as she threw a fit over how Kakashi was making a big deal out of her falling behind a bit on their last mission; she had been poisoned damn it! How was she supposed to be in top condition after that!

"You know that you are one of my prized students, Sakura, and how you behave reflects on me. You are a wonderful medic, there is no denying that, but since you seem to think that you are more advanced then anyone in the village it makes me wonder if I should continue to keep you as a student." Sakura flinched violently, both from the news and from the look of pity that Shizune offered her. Tsunade continued to look down at the streets of Konoha.

"Akima is new to the shinobi world, and she is not highly thought of in the village, but she has amazing talent. She is able to do things that took you months to learn. I have decided to take her in as my new student," Tsunade told her.

Sakura saw red. "How can you be so foolish!?" Sakura yelled. Tsunade turned around to look at Sakura, giving the younger girl a warning glare. "I had been twelve when you began teaching me, Akima is nineteen; of course she will be more advanced! Her chakra is more matured then mine! And how do you know that she hasn't had training in the past and just didn't tell you this so you would think she is a healing prodigy of some sorts?

"Have you even bothered to do some form of research on her?! She could be a spy from a different village for all we know, but you blindly trust her! And yes, I have been unable to come to the last few training sessions, but only because the hospital has become so busy! If you actually came and helped some of the patients there, things may calm down a bit, have you even thought of that?" Sakura would have gladly continued, but Shizune decided to intervene at this time and forced her hand over Sakura's mouth and shoving the young pinkett until they were as far away from the furious Hokage as the room would allow them.

The throbbing vein in Tsunade's forehead looked about ready to burst and the blonde's fist were shaking. Her eyes were tightly shut and her lips were sneering. In general, Tsunade did not look like a happy camper. Light eyes filled with anger snapped open at the same time a fist slammed against an abused desk and a large chair fell to the floor as Tsunade stood.

(_POP QUIZ- If you were Sakura at this moment in time would you A) Piss yourself B) Run like hell and hide under your bed or C) Glare at the enraged woman who could kill you? I'll give you some time to think about it._

_. . ._

. . . Done? Good! Personally, I would have gone with B, but lets see what Sakura Haruno chose!)

Sakura glared at Tsunade, not willing to back down or show her fear. (Smart choice, huh?)

"Don't you dare speak to me in such a way, Haruno! I am the Hokage of this village and I demand respect! As of now, you are no longer my student and your roll as head medic at the hospital has been revoked! Now get out of my office and do not come back unless I call for you!"

A brief silence.

A slamming of a door.

An exhausted groan.

Shizune, an order of sake, please?

**Love, Hate, and the Agony In-Between**

Sakura Haruno wanted to scream. She wanted to throw something and punch a few things and maybe bite the next person who looked at her funny. Her face was red with anger and if you managed to hear some of the things coming from her mouth, you would have to wonder exactly where she learned so many colorful words.

It is no surprise that word of Sakura's anger reached the members of Team Kakashi within the hour. They, being the wonderful teammates they are, decided to take a break from helping Sasuke move back into the abandoned Uchiha compound and check up on the girl. They couldn't say they were surprised when they found Sakura in the training grounds, putting large craters in the ground and knocking trees over. The male members of the team glanced at each other.

"I'm not going in there," Sasuke informed the others. Being in his childhood home was stressful enough, he wasn't dealing with a pissed of Sakura Haruno too. The four men were hidden within the shadows of a large oak tree, praying to god that Sakura didn't decide to take some anger out on it.

"Well I'm not going down there either! I like my face the way it is and if I do go down there, I'll say something and then Sakura-Chan will get mad and then I will get hit and it will all just end in a lot of pain for me!" Naruto told them.

"I think we should just leave Ugly alone for a while. Let her get her anger out," Sai suggested. It sounded pretty good to all men, and they stood up to leave.

"You know I can hear you from down here!" Sakura all but snarled at her loving teammates. Another animalistic snarl came from the small teen when she heard four softly spoken curse words come from the tree. Two seconds later, Team Kakashi had their feet firmly on the ground and walking to her.

"We heard about what happened," Sasuke stated. Sakura looked away, turning so that they only saw her back. "Yeah, you and the entire village!" she growled.

"So how bad did she give it to you?" Sai asked. Sakura didn't say anything for a second. "She replaced me as her student. Fucking Akima Niwa! She also removed my status as head medic at the hospital. Do have any idea how long it took me to get were I was!? She destroyed years of work within ten minutes!" Sakura's fist swung out and made contact with a very unfortunate tree. Said tree gave a groan before a series of loud cracks and pops were heard. The tree then fell to the ground.

Kakashi looked up from his book for a second at his old student, and then his attention was drawn back to the book. "She is the Hokage, Sakura; she is allowed to do what she deems necessary."

"It was necessary to humiliate me!?" Sakura snapped.

"Hey, we are only trying to help, Sakura-Chan. We know that you are upset right now, but that doesn't mean you have to take it out on us!" Naruto said, swiftly defending his ex teacher.

"Shut up, Naruto! I do not feel like arguing with you guys!" Sakura suddenly slumped against one of the few trees standing. The young men moved in to make sure she was okay. "Can you guys just leave? I kind of want to be alone."

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked. Sakura nodded once, and the boys left her be. Oddly, even though Sakura had asked them to leave, she felt kind of empty without them around.

**Love, Hate, and the Agony In-Between**

It was after nearly two hours of intense training that Sakura's stomach made itself known. Sakura paused in her training for a moment. She had skipped lunch, hadn't she?

'_**We were so upset about Tsunade's betrayal that we completely forgot about it.'**_ Inner informed her. Sakura groaned softly in frustration, placing her forehead in the palm of her hand. _**'We might as well go home and shower. Our fridge is bare and we need to do some shopping. We cannot go out in town smelling like this.'**_

So, the pinkett started on her way home, ignoring every whisper she heard come from the villagers. Konoha is a village full of gossipers. The people of Konoha, civilian or shinobi, thrive on it. It's one of the main sources of entertainment, which is why just about everyone knew at least two versions of what happened with Tsunade this afternoon. Some of the stories can get pretty far fetched, and Sakura wasn't eager to learn them.

After returning to her small apartment, Sakura all but collapsed onto her couch. Sakura huffed and rolled onto her back, then grabbed on of the small peach colored cushions from behind her head, smashed it over her face and screamed loudly into it. After the scream had died, Sakura remained in the same position for a few minutes more. She then sat up, her long legs hanging over the edge of the couch, and threw the cushion against the wall nearest to her. She glared at the limp pillow as it fell to the floor without a sound.

'_Today is just not a good day for me,'_ she thought to herself.

Sakura stood and headed to her small bathroom. She quickly rid herself of her sweaty clothing and threw them inside the half filled laundry basket. She started the shower and briefly waited for the water to turn hot before she got in. After standing in the shower of steamy water for a few moments, allowing the hot liquid to relax her a bit, she started washing herself, rubbing her body down with her scentless soap and lathering her hair with her green apple smelling shampoo and conditioner, then rinsing all of the suds and bubbles away. She stood in the shower again for a few moments before turning the water off and grabbing a soft white towel to wrap around herself.

She left the bathroom and walked into her bedroom. She quickly dried herself, walked to her closet, and debated for a moment. She had no plans for the rest of the evening and she didn't have any missions to do, so why not dress in something comfortable? She chose a simple white top and light blue shorts with her black boots. She blow-dried and combed her short hair before adding a thick white headband. After making sure she looked alright and grabbing enough money, she left her apartment.

After using a few short cuts (which involved some rooftops) she was in the village market. It was less crowded then it had been that morning and Sakura was nothing but grateful for that. It sure as hell didn't stop the looks and whispers, but those could be easily ignored.

As she made her way to a stand belonging to one of her uncles friends who always gave her a nice discount, she passed one of the bars and saw something that simply couldn't be ignored.

"Don't sweat it, Akima-Chan. It's a special day for you and we all want to help you celebrate." Sakura's green eyes narrowed dangerously as she heard the painfully familiar voice. '_It better not be her!'_

Ino, who had told her best friend just that morning that her entire day was full and nothing was able to be canceled so they could spend time together, was sitting at the bar between Akima and Kiba, who had Akamaru at his feet. There were about three others in the group, but Ino and Kiba were the only shinobi. Sakura quietly slipped into the bar unnoticed and moved to one of the more shadowed corners, close enough to listen and hopefully not be noticed by them. She cursed herself in her head for wearing such bright clothing, but maybe it would just make her blend more with the civilians.

"Plus, Kiba's paying," Ino finished with a little laugh. Kiba's smile dropped at that and he gave the blond a dirty look.

"Hey, when did I agree to do that?!" Kiba asked her, a bit of a growl in his voice. Sakura rose one pink eyebrow when she saw the top of Akima's head move closer to Kiba's. "Oh, come on, Kiba-kun. Won't you please pay for a drink for two lovely ladies? Hmm? I can always… _repay_ you later tonight if you like."

"Hmm, I like the sound of that, Akima-Chan," Kiba told her, his voice a bit on the husky side. Sakura rolled her eyes. Just this morning it was Riku and now Akima. Kiba was such a dog.

One of the other girls spoke up. "I still cannot believe that you and Sakura broke up. What happened? I've heard at least three different stories." The mention of his ex seemed to snap Kiba out of it, or maybe it was Akamaru's fearful whimpering from the memory of that morning.

"You see, me and my girl Riku sort of bumped into each other on the streets and we started walking and talking. After a while, Riku told me how she wished she could date a guy like me, and I told her that she could have me if she wanted to. I kind of lied and said that Sakura and I had broken up a few days ago and I asked her out. Riku was thrilled, I even got a kiss!" Kiba told them happily. Then his voice turned sour. "But then Sakura and Hinata came around and Sakura flipped! She started bitching about betrayal and unfaithfulness and all that crap. She even broke my nose! Thankfully Hinata was there to calm her down."

"But then I had to deal with Riku. She was upset, of course, and I managed to smooth things out with her, but she told me that the she wouldn't date me until I had learned how to be as loyal as Akamaru." Kiba had to pause in his story as the girls laughed. "Then she left for the market and I thought that things could only get better, right? But then Hinata came around. She lectures me more then my freaking mother, I swear!"

After a short laugh Ino decided to put her two cents in. "I'm surprised by Sakura's reaction, really. I thought she would have gone into a rage or something when she found her boy-toy cheating. God knows how explosive her temper is without help."

"I'm with you on that one, Ino. She inflicts more pain then she manages to heal." Sakura's grip on the table tightened at Akima's words and she tried to remain calm.

"Yeah, but now we have our Akima as a medic!" It didn't really work.

"Why did you even date her, Kiba-Kun?" Akima asked.

"I guess it was just because she was so highly thought of and it would get my ma off my back about finding a good girl. It also doesn't hurt that she has amazing legs and nice eyes," Kiba told them with a shrug.

"I doubt she's gonna be thought of very highly after today. Tsunade _did_ dismiss her as a student, and that was just about all she was known for. Well, other than her temper," Ino added. The wood of the table cracked a bit under Sakura's tight grip.

"I don't even know why she tries. It's pretty obvious that her teammates will always outshine her. She has always lived in their shadows and she always will."

Yep, that did it. The table cracked loudly, and all eyes in the bar were drawn to her. Yes, that includes those who had been bad mouthing her a moment ago.

"S-Sakura?" Ino stuttered.

"Fuck you, Kiba! Fuck you, fuck you, and Fuck You too, Ino! If you cannot say this shit to my face then you are more cowardly then I fucking thought! If you all do not want me around, then I will gladly leave your pathetic lives!"

I think that now is a good time for a dramatic exit, do you? Yeah, it's time for a dramatic exit.

Sakura turned and angrily walked out of the bar, all eyes fallowing her. The young girl broke into a run when she got outside and didn't stop until she was home. She then stomped over to the couch again and grabbed her previously abandoned pillow to scream again. She screamed and screamed until her throat hurt and then she screamed again. After she couldn't scream anymore, she sobbed. The hurt finally set in from the betrayals and the tears wouldn't stop.

'**Those assholes,'** Inner added. She lacked any spark or actual anger in her words and sounded like she was about to cry herself. **'**_**Sakura, I want Daddy…'**_

The broken voice of her Inner told Sakura exactly what needed to be done. _'I do too.'  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Like it? Love it? Hate it? Tell me!<strong>

**Next Chapter should be about Hinata and her reasons for leaving. Be prepared for the proper introduction of my main OC, who will be popping up from time to time.**

**-Well, this turned out different then I expected. I started this out thinking it would be about 3,000 worlds for both girls, but I'm over 5,000 and this is only Sakura. Sorry if it took forever.**

_EDIT 2/22/14: I've gotten rid of a few of the OC's who didn't make the cut when I was re-writing my plot plans and edited the ones I do have. They just weren't needed and I want to avoid using them._

**_-Rose_**


	2. The Harder You Fall

**Love, Hate, and the Agony In-Between**

_EDIT 2/9/14: I've gotten rid of a few of the OC's who didn't make the cut when I was re-writing my plot plans. They just weren't needed and I want to avoid using them. Also cleaned up the spelling and grammar a bit._

**Hello all of my new readers! You have no idea how thrilled I was when your comments came to me being mostly positive. **

**I was wondering who you would like Hinata to be paired with in this story. I originally planned on her being with Naruto, but the idea of her being with someone in Akatsuki has been in my head since I first started writing the original 'Good Girls Who Went Bad'. So if you have a request or a suggestion of who you think Hinata should be with, tell me!**

**Warning: Changing of Character Personalities, and Some Characters Created by Yours Truly.**

**If I owned Naruto, Sakura would die. But I don't own Naruto, and Sakura will probably live to see the end. Damn it.**

**Chapter Two- The Harder You Fall  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hinata Hyuga<strong>_

Hinata Hyuga never had the respect or approval of the people she most wanted to please. Yes, the villagers and her fellow shinobi thought well of her; she was a sweet, kind hearted young girl who still managed to keep the innocent nature that killing and shinobi life normally ended. Her clan was another story all together; she has been far too soft, too weak, and too gentle since she was born.

Everyone knew that she wasn't made to survive in the Hyuga clan.

The day had been a bit different then most for Hinata. The morning had started out normal enough. She had woken herself at around five thirty and had taken her time in the bath, enjoying the simple pleasure for as long as she could get away with, before getting dressed. She had then joined her younger sister and father for an extravagant breakfast made by their elder cousin, Hatsuko. Hiashi, though strict and often cold or cruel, always had breakfast and dinner with his daughters and occasionally with his nephew. All of the Hyuga's enjoyed these meals together, though you would have to break a bone or two before Neji or Hiashi admitted this out loud.

After breakfast, Hinata went to the family dojo to do a light training. Within six minutes of her being there, Neji and Amaya, two of the most widely known Hyugas', joined her.

Amaya and Neji Hyuga. They were infamous among both shinobi and civilians, but for vastly different reasons. Neji with his genius mind and prodigy status had only one thing holding his back from being the best. The flaw that he kept hidden beneath his forehead protector that branded him for life. If it wasn't for the curse seal, Neji could easily take her place as heir and lead the Hyuga clan to greatness.

Amaya is of the main branch, being a granddaughter to one of the Hyuga counsel. Unfortunately, Amaya is one of the three Hyuga to ever be born without a Byakugan, making her disabled and useless in the eyes of the clan. The clan has desperately been searching for a strong clan to marry Amaya off to since she was nine and her previous engagement ended in a bloodbath.

"Good morning Hinata-sama," Neji greeted her with a respectful nod and a small smile. He seemed to be in a good mood today. "Morning, Hinata-sama." Amaya smiled and waved to her younger cousin.

"Would you care for a quick spar, Hinata-Sama?" Neji asked politely. "Amaya was going to be my partner, but she has to write out her mission report." Amaya gave him a dirty look, then flicked her long brown hair over her shoulder hard enough to hit Neji's face in retaliation. Neji didn't move to avoid the strands and only made a mildly annoyed grunt at their cousin. Hinata giggled at them before accepting Neji's invitation and going into a defensive pose. Despite the extra training she had been doing, Neji was still a lifetime stronger then herself.

She relied on her speed and flexibility when fighting Neji, mostly staying on the defense and rarely attacking. She could tell that Neji noticed this because Neji noticed everything. She could remember many times throughout the years that Neji would randomly point things out that had changed about Amaya and herself when he returned from missions. Simple things that they themselves didn't notice, like how Hinata's hair had grown approximately an inch since he last saw her- probably to try to impress Naruto with her looks after he said he liked long hair- or how Amaya had gotten injured a few days ago in training- most likely because she was distracted and didn't notice the kunai coming at her leg. Neji was just the kind of person who noticed small, insignificant things that continued to add up until he knew the person inside and out.

Hinata had been so invested the fight that she hadn't even heard Sakura enter the dojo. She only noticed when Amaya invited her inside for a late breakfast. Hinata had stopped the fight seconds after seeing her pink haired friend by doing an arched leap over Neji's head and landing gracefully near Sakura and Amaya. While Neji stared at her, surprised by her unexpected move and Amaya laughed at the look on his face.

"Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?" Hinata asked. It wasn't often that any of her friends willingly came to see her at the compound.

Sakura shrugged like it was no big deal. "Ino ditched me again and I have an open morning. You want to come to the market with me? Amaya can come too."

Hinata was eager for an excuse to leave the compound. Despite the fact that it was her home and that she spent almost everyday of her life there, the coldness and deafening silence of her home was only something the heiress could handle for so long. This is why she always spent time with her sister or Amaya or Neji when she was home. Hanabi was always moving, always talking, always doing something that would probably get her a scolding. Amaya knew when to Hinata wanted to talk and when Hinata wanted a silent companion. Neji was her protection and her rock when life became too much. They were warmer than the others. They were safer.

"Sorry, I told Sasuke I would help him with organizing everything from the Uchiha compound today," Amaya told them with a look of dread. Since Sasuke had turned sixteen, he had been given everything left behind from his clan. Money, scrolls, property, and everything found within the Uchiha compound now belonged to him. Unfortunately, every personal belonging of an entire clan was a lot to handle. Moving back into the place his clan was slaughtered was even more. After Amaya promised to tell her father where Hinata was going, the two teens left.

The main market of Konoha was as busy as it always is, most buyers and sellers dancing among each other like bumblebees in a hive, but for some reason or another, the villagers who pushed and shoved against one another made just enough room for Sakura and Hinata when they walked from stall to stall. Maybe it was because Hinata was the heiress of a powerful shinobi clan, maybe it was because Sakura was a student of Tsunade, or maybe it's because they could put their fist threw a tree trunk. Oh well, it doesn't matter that much.

The two friends shopped, talked, and enjoyed the morning for an hour or two, occasionally buying something here and there, but the fun came to an abrupt halt when Kiba, a good friend and trusted teammate of Hinata, was found kissing Riku, a nice, shy girl who worked at the hospital with Sakura as a nurses aid and a doctor in training. Two months ago, Hinata would have been thrilled about this since she always thought that Kiba and Riku made a cute couple. If they had done this two months ago, all of Kiba's friends would have congratulated him and half of them would be bummed because they lost in the betting poll. But this is only if it had been two months ago, before he started dating Sakura.

Now he just gets a long lecture about breaking up with his girlfriend before he goes around telling girls that he is single. That and a nice punch courtesy of said girlfriend.

After that fun little discovery, Sakura didn't feel like being out in the public eye and had left for home, leaving Hinata to continue the morning on her own. She still hadn't felt like returning to the Hyuga Complex and she had already trained enough for the morning. "Hinata-san!" The somewhat familiar voice brought Hinata out of her thoughts and she twisted her face to the left.

Ikuya Inuzuka, the only remaining teammate of Amaya's, looked quite a lot like his cousin Kiba, but Ikuya's brown hair was too dark and curly and his face was too long and he was far too polite and formal to be mistaken for her teammate. Beside him was his ever present partner, a gray dog whose name escaped Hinata. "Good afternoon, Lady Hyuga," he greeted with a small bow and a bright smile. "Do you know where I can find Amaya-Chan?"

"Hello, Ikuya-san," Hinata greeted the blond politely. "I think that Amaya-Chan is still in the Uchiha compound with Sasuke-san. She told me that she didn't have anything planned for the day if you want to see her."

"Arigato, Hinata-san!" Hinata smiled and waved as he and his dog ran down the street.

Hinata herself turned and began walking through the Konoha market again, this time looking at the food and groceries instead of the clothes and jewelry like she had with Sakura. After buying two loves of freshly baked bread, a few ripe apples, and a few sweets like orange and grape flavored suckers and chocolate, she left the market and began walking to down-town Konoha.

This part of Konoha was the poverty stricken part of the village, similar to that of a ghetto, where the money was tighter then usual and many went to bed hungry. Hinata had never seen this part of Konoha when she was younger, her caretakers never even thinking of bringing the heiress there, but after a low-ranked solo mission to find a young mothers missing toddler when she was fourteen her eyes were opened to the cruel world of the streets. The young boy had been found within the hour and when Hinata had learned that the mother had used all of her savings and most of her small pay check to pay for the mission, she had found the small families address and had given them her pay for the mission along with a large dinner. Hinata had made it a normal activity to help those who lived in that part of town, sometimes giving them money or helping them around their houses, or giving them something to eat so they wouldn't go hungry.

"Hinata-Sama! Hinata-Sama!" a small group of four children who Hinata couldn't remember the names of called out when they saw her. They ended their game of tag and ran over to her, hoping that she had a treat for them, or maybe some money they could give to their parents that night. Hinata smiled down at their dirty faces and pulled out the sweets she had gotten just for them.

"Don't run while you're eating these. We don't want anyone getting hurt now," Hinata gently warned them. The children greedily took the suckers and all thanked her before putting the sweet treats they rarely got into their mouths. The children then left to finish their suckers before continuing their game.

Hinata continued her walk, giving five of her apples to an extremely thin man who smiled at her thankfully and giving the loaves of bread to a aged woman with three children who thanked her with a tear in her eye. She then gave money to a group of five boys only a bit older then she herself, all of which thanked her and one who tried to flirt with her. She later tried to give a gold necklace of hers that she never wore to an old man, but he had refused, claiming that he didn't need her pity or hand-me-downs and walked away. She later gave the necklace to a girl around Hanabi's age and told her to give it to her mother or father that night.

After almost everything she had come with was gone, she walked to the small, one-bedroom house that belonged to Natsu and Akira Ogano, the young mother and little boy who she had first helped almost two years before. Natsu smiled and greeted her kindly as she always did when she came to visit them and Akira had hugged her legs tightly. She and Natsu sat in the small kitchen that shared the same room as the living room, talking and catching up.

"Did anything happen on your trip here, Dearest?" Natsu asked her. It had happened once or twice in the past that someone would try to steal or harm Hinata, but she was a ninja and with no training or proper weapons, the civilians were easily dealt with.

"Do not worry yourself, Natsu, I can take care of myself," Hinata told her gently, trying to comfort the woman. Natsu shook her head and sighed, her curly brown hair swaying a bit at the motion. "I know that you can Hinata, but I worry about you. I cannot help it."

Hinata smiled kindly at the elder woman. Oh, how Natsu reminded her of her own mother. Maybe that is why Hinata always came to visit, just so she can be around a woman who was as gentle and kindhearted as her late mother once was.

"Hina-Chan! Hina-Chan!" Akira said, tugging on the sleeve of her sweater to get her attention. Hinata gave the little six year old what he wished for and he quickly told her about what he had done today and how he wanted to go to the ninja academy to be just like her. Hinata looked at Natsu to find a sad look in her brown eyes and had told Akira that he would make a wonderful ninja. Once the little boy was shooed to his room to play with the toys Hinata had given him over the years, Hinata looked once again at Natsu.

"For the past three months all he has talked about was going to the ninja academy and becoming a ninja like you, Hinata. At first I thought he would forget about it after a week, but…" she trailed off, giving a regretful sigh.

"It costs more then 1,100,000 ryo (1,500$ in the US) in total to go to the academy," Hinata stated sadly. Natsu was barely making enough to cover the bills and get enough food for them. She wouldn't be able to pay for Akira's training alone.

"I know. He has been talking about ninja's since he met you, but it was always one of those dreams he knew he wouldn't reach, but then he found out about Naruto Uzumaki and how he had been an orphan, but still was able to go to the academy and is a great ninja now and he gained hope. I don't have the heart to tell him he cannot go yet." Natsu looked like she was ready to start crying and Hinata could hear and see the normally strong woman breaking down. "He wants this so badly Hinata, but there is no possible way I could… I could."

Hinata held the pale hand in her own softly, hoping to comfort her friend. "Hush, Natsu, it's alright," she said softly. She knew that she couldn't do much to help Natsu, there was nothing Natsu could do to help her son reach his dreams. "Natsu, I will pay for his tra—"

"No!" Natsu suddenly stated, startling the Hyuga heiress. "You have already helped us so much Hinata, but asking you to do this is far too much!"

"Natsu, I want to help him. My monthly allowance would cover his first year for him and if I just give you—"

"No is my final answer, Hinata. I know you want to help us, but this is asking too much. The chances of him making it as a ninja in this world are slim anyway. Now you should be going home soon, it's starting to get late. Please travel safely, Darling." And with that, Hinata left the house, but not before saying goodnight to Akira, telling him to always fallow his dreams and gave him 75,000 (100$) ryo to help him and his mother incase of an emergency.

The walk home was thankfully uneventful for Hinata since she had her head in the clouds most of the walk. Most of the villages orphans were put into the academy with the village paying for their education. It was a win-win situation for the village. Orphans would have a job, money, and a chance to change and improve their lives. The village would have the next generation of shinobi.

Hinata passed the abandoned Uchiha police building, the once proud building standing tall and dark and abandoned. After the slaughter of the Uchiha clan, the Konoha police force was never really brought back. The building that once stood proud was now in ruins with everything covered in a thick layer of dust. Without the police, the citizens of Konoha had no one to enforce the law. Of course, they had the shinobis', but if Konoha shinobis' were to harm a civilian they would be punished severely.

It had happened in the past. An innocent civilian would be attacked or threatened by another and a shinobi would get involved, protecting the endangered civilian from harm but would then be punished by the Hokage. They could be suspended from missions, their only source of income, or could be sent to prison for a month or two. Once, a shinobi was put in solitary confinement for almost killing a man who had attempted to kill a young boy for money. The citizen was punished and sent to prison, but the shinobi was still punished.

Without the police, the citizens had no one they could turn to when trouble arose. If they wanted the protection of a ninja they would have to send one of their own to the academy or would have to request missions from the Hokage. This plan normally backfired, since the family member would be sent away for long periods of time on missions and the family would be vulnerable again or the family member wouldn't make it out of the academy and would never become any stronger then a genin at most, thus becoming little protection.

Hinata dimly remembers her father talking about offering the Branch family the control of the police force, but the council believed that it would give them too much power and they would rebel. Back when the lose of the Uchiha clan had still been fresh, the Hokage spoke about starting the police force up from the ground up, but ninja's were short at the time and the civilian's would take years to train, so the plan was quickly forgotten and the outraged protests for the village were ignored.

'_It's like they are just waiting for chaos to happen before they realize their mistake._'

"Onee-Chan? You okay there?" The concerned voice of her younger sister brought her out of her thoughts and Hinata looked around her to find that she was just inside the complex. "Oh thank god," Hanabi breathed out, relief visibly washing over her. "You have been standing there for the last six minutes staring off into space. I tried shaking you and yelling at you but you wouldn't respond. I was about ready to get Amaya-nee and Neji-nii."

"I… I'm sorry for worrying you, Hanabi," Hinata apologized softly. There was a long moment of silence between the two sisters. They rarely had much time to speak to each other these days, since Hanabi had graduated from the academy that Akira dreamed of being in and had began training with her three man team. Hinata remembers how they use to spend every afternoon that Hinata didn't have a mission together, just talking and sometimes training. Conversation use to come easily with them, now it was almost awkward between them.

Hinata gasped sharply when Hanabi suddenly moved toward her. She had no idea her sister could move so quickly, but her surprise turned into shock when she felt Hanabi wrap her arms around her older sister in a tight hug. Hanabi was short for her age, and though she seemed to grow more each time Hinata saw her, her height had yet to get the memo that she was almost a teen, so Hinata was pleasantly surprised when Hanabi was still the same height as Hinata's shoulder, the perfect height for the younger to rest her head over her older sisters heart in a hug. "You scared me. At first I thought something had happened to you, but then I thought you were ignoring me and I..."

A soft smile touched Hinata's face and she gently returned the embrace, petting Hanabi's soft brown hair. "I would never intentionally ignore you, Hanabi, never forget that. I care for you too much. I was only lost in my thoughts again." Hanabi only hugged her sister tighter, missing the times when Hinata was more of a mother then just a sister to her, since their own mother had been killed when she herself was a toddler. Hinata glad held her sister closer and took a moment to thank god that they were inside the complex and not outside. If their father were to hear of such a display of affection out in public, they would surely be scolded. "Come, I will make you some of your favorite tea before bed. You look like you had a rough day."

Hanabi continued to tell her sister how badly her mission today had gone when her idiot teammate had scared the dog they were suppose to catch and had almost ruined the trap her other teammate had spent so long planning and setting up while Hinata fixed Hanabi's favorite green tea, adding no sugar and put a squeeze of lemon in, then blowing on it a few times to cool it a bit so Hanabi wouldn't have to pause in her story. After accepting and thanking Hinata for the tea, Hanabi started talking about how Konohamaru had flirted with her again and how she found him annoying. Hinata had giggled and gently teased her sister enough to make her blush. The two talked for another half hour before a long yawn had came from Hanabi and Hinata sent her to bed, placing a short kiss of her cheek and wishing her sweet dreams.

Once her sister was gone, Hinata's face fell. It was no secret that Hanabi was stronger then her. It was known by all that Hanabi would be named heiress instead of Hinata. Hinata herself knew this. How could she not, with all the whispered words and countless failures she had?

Hinata wasn't bitter or upset that Hanabi would become leader instead of her. She worried for the clan though. Hanabi was physically stronger, but she was still a child, she didn't know how to lead. Hanabi would be a wonderful ninja, but a leader? No. Hanabi was a follower, a supporter, not a leader. It was Neji who was the leader, not Hiashi's daughters. Hinata also worried for herself. With Hanabi as leader, what would stop the council from giving her the curse mark?

Hinata knew what was stopping them from giving her the curse mark and kicking her into the branch family. The curse mark is given to the clan members at an early age because they are still growing, still developing. Whenever they tried to give the curse mark to someone above the age of nine, the clan member would either become mentally unstable, mentally retarded, or would die within the next four hours. Those members of the clan who lived were dealt with swiftly. The clan couldn't have a flaw, they couldn't show the village just how imperfect they really are.

If Hinata were to be given the curse mark at the age of sixteen, she would die.

This still would not stop the Hyuga council from giving it to her though and her father would have no say in the matter. He would hate himself for it, and Hanabi may hate him for it, but he would still have to give her the curse mark and bring a painful death to her as other clan heads have had to do so in the past. The Hyuga clan law has caused it to happen a total of five times since the clans very beginning. It made no sense and it brought unnecessary pain and death, but it would happen.

To stay in the Hyuga clan meant death for Hinata and she knew it.

The only way her life would be spared is if Hiashi disowned her, stripped her of the Hyuga name, and threw her onto the streets. Sure, Hinata would be able to turn to her friends and she would even be able to afford a decent apartment after a few missions, but if she were thrown out, the secret of the Byakugan would be all too easy for others to take from her. She needed the protection of the clan in order to keep their prized eyes hidden from other villages. Of course, she could probably find a teammate or close friend to stay with and they would gladly give protection, but if another village found out about the Byakugan being easily within reach, they wouldn't take long to respond. The clan wouldn't want to risk it.

So, would she be thrown out of the clan and have the risk of losing the Byakugan or would she be given a painful death?

The clearing of a throat caught Hinata's attention and she turned to find a branch member standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her head bowed respectfully. "Hinata-sama, your father wishes to see you in his study."

Hinata nodded in confirmation and the clan member quickly left her. After putting Hanabi's cup in the sink to be washed tomorrow morning, Hinata left the room and started for her father's study, a place Hiashi almost lived in.

While walking through the almost never ending labyrinth that made up the Head House's compound, she remembered how whenever her friends came over, they would need a guide through the house to take them to her or she would have to meet them outside since they would always get lost. Hinata was pretty sure some of the members themselves have gotten lost in the compound- which would explain the sudden activations of Byakugans' in the clan every now and again- but Hinata knew the entire compound like she knew the back of her hand.

She wasn't really looking forward to the meeting with her father. Don't get me wrong, she loves her father (he _is_ her father after all) but the day had not been a very good one for our indigo haired Hyuga and her father's criticism was just going to be the cherry on top.

"Hinata?"

Hinata was, yet again, sent back into reality with a small sound from the back of her throat and a bright blush on her face. _'Please tell me I didn't make that sound!'_

"You sounded like a mouse, Hinata-Chan. Don't blush, it was cute!" her elder cousin told her.

Amaya Hyuga was a passable blemish to the Hyuga name. When she was born she was without the Byakugan. Her parents called as many skilled medics as they could, but Amaya's Byakugan just wasn't there. Worse yet, due to the Hyuga clans genetics being less dominant then most, Amaya was more then likely to never produce children with the Byakugan, making her even worse then disabled in the eyes of the clan. Amaya was dealt with in the way the clan normally handles members like her; marrying her off to the strongest clan they could to both get rid of the problem and form an alliance.

"Amaya-nee-chan, please forgive my rudeness, but what are you doing here?" Hinata asked her quietly.

"The council wanted to speak to me about my future. Half of them wanted me to marry a branch member so I can remain with the clan. They've actually been talking to the Nara family about an arrangement, but the elders don't think the Nara clan is good enough. Since my first engagement ended in disaster and blood, their kind of nervous about my future betrothed."

"B-but you were three when your first engagement came, surly they do not expect that to reflect on your entire life," Hinata quietly defended. Amaya only shrugged. "Where are you off to?"

"My father called for me."

"Oh, I didn't mean to keep you. Sorry. I'll see you around, right?" After a promise of tea later tomorrow, the girls went their separate ways and Hinata arrived at her father's office without anymore delay.

After waiting a moment to steel her nerves, she entered the study. Her father was not at his desk as he normally was, but was at the window of his room, staring outside at the darkened gardens. After a few long moments of silence, Hinata realized that he was too deep in thought and hadn't heard her enter the room. Well, that was one of the things she and her father had in common.

"Father? You called for me?" Her soft spoken voice was enough to bring Hiashi out of his little world and he turned to look at his eldest with sad eyes. "Hinata," he said. "please sit. We have much to discuss." Hinata quickly but quietly sat in one of the low chairs before her fathers desk and Hiashi sluggishly walked to his desk but didn't sit, looking like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. Hinata closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She knew this day was coming soon, but she had no idea this soon.

"Hinata, I'm sure that you already know of the council's choice to make Hanabi the heiress." He paused and I nodded my head. I wasn't stupid and he knew it. "They have been debating over your future Hinata. The topic of simply marrying you off to a suitor has come up many times before, but the risk of the Byakugan spreading to another clan is one we can't take. A majority of the council wishes to see you as a member of the branch family. They wish to give you the curse mark, but we all know that this would end in _death_." Hiashi's voice broke at the last word, and he had to take a moment to calm himself. Hinata waited patiently for him to continue. "There is a number of who want you to be wed to a member of the branch family, since this would allow you to go without a curse mark but you would still be a slave to them."

A lengthy pause came after his words. '_Those sly asses. They found a way to make my life hell, but still keep me alive.'_

"Hinata, you are my eldest daughter and I always had high expectations for you. Perhaps I did push you too hard. I only wanted the best for you. When you showed too much weakness I started to lose hope in you, and I see now that this was a mistake. I put my faith in Hanabi and wrote you off as a lost cause and I can only hope you will one day forgive me for that." Hiashi walked over to her seat and stood behind her, placing his aged hands on her shoulder. Hinata didn't say anything and didn't look up from her hands that lay shaking in her lap. "Hinata... I will not watch as you are turned into a mere servant. You are so much better then that, my daughter. I wish I didn't have to, but it is this or a life of servitude for you."

Hinata bit her lower lip for a moment, and then raised one of her shaking hands to cover her fathers. Hiashi quickly took hold of her delicate hand and held it firmly.

"You are here by stripped of the Hyuga name. All relation you have to this clan is to be forgotten about. You are forbidden from entering the complex unless invited and approved of by myself. You have until tomorrow morning to gather all your personal objects and leave. If you refuse, you will be forced out."

Hinata's voice shook when she spoke. "That will not be necessary, Hiashi-sama. I will leave quietly, but I request help in packing my belongings."

Hiashi squeezed her hand once more. They both knew how hard this was for him, forcing his first born child away for her own good. "Request granted," Hiashi mumbled before going to the door of his study, were a branch member sat outside, ready to do as he asks. "Go find Amaya and Neji Hyuga, tell them I wish to see them here."

Once the branch member was gone Hiashi closed the door again and turned to Hinata, who was still shaken. He approached her slowly, and suddenly kneeled in front of her, looking at her eyes. He gazed at his daughter for a few moments, again being reminded of how much she looked like her mother, and then pulled her into a warm embrace.

Hinata clung to the man she had always known as 'father', something she would no longer be allowed to call him again. She remembered her younger years, before she started training and even a year or two into her training when she proved to be a disappointment, when he used to hold her like this. Her father's hugs were the best in the world. They made her feel protected and loved, like he would never let anything happen to her. He hasn't hugged her since she was nine and they were morning the lose of her mother. Hinata almost felt like sobbing, but forced them down, not wanting to appear weaker in front of him. The result of her hard work was a heart twisting whimper and her eyes stinging. Hiashi didn't say anything, just held her closer. This would be the last time he held her for many years.

When Neji and Amaya entered the study, they found Hiashi with red tinted eyes and Hinata a shaking mess. After quickly explaining that they were to help Hinata pack and the show her out, the clan head left for bed. Once inside Hinata's bedroom, the youngest of the three explained why Hiashi had disowned and banished her. Neji was sorrowful, but accepting. Amaya looked like she was ready to either kill the council herself or break into tears.

They packed her things in silence, Neji taking care of her ninja equipment and Amaya taking care of her clothing and money. Hinata herself went through her more personal objects that held great meaning to her. It took almost two hours, but when the task was done, Hinata had one bag full of cloths, her saved money, and a few pictures and the backpack she normally took on long missions filled with most of her ninja gear.

Amaya and Neji carried the bags out for her, all silent and lost in thought. Amaya was hugging Hinata as they walked, one arm over her shoulder, as if the contact would somehow delay the fact that they would no longer be able to call each other family once she left the complex, and Neji walked close to her, silently giving her the comfort only he could give. The entrance of the complex came too quickly for them and Amaya and Neji gave her the bags.

"Can. . . Can you please say goodbye to Hanabi for me? Explain to her that this isn't Fath- Hiashi-Sama's fault. Please tell her that I love her as much as I love you two," Hinata begged. Amaya bit her lip and pulled her younger cousin into a tight hug, trying hard not to cry and failing. "Tell her yourself," Amaya's voice trembled. "She's gonna track you down once she finds out anyway."

"Of course we well, Hinata-san," Neji told her, his voice tight as he tried to control his emotions. Hinata gave him a warm smile in return and hugged Amaya tightly. Amaya let go of Hinata and went to Neji's side, standing close for silent comfort. "Good luck, Hinata-san."

"I— If you need h-help in anyway, Hinata-chan, p-please don't hesitate t-to ask me," Amaya spoke through her tears. She quickly wiped them away and tried to look presentable. "I'm such a fucking cry baby." Hinata smiled and nodded her head before she picked up her bags and began walking away from the only home she had ever known.

It was a total of ten minutes later that Hinata realized that she was royally screwed. It was almost midnight, so most of the village was asleep. She couldn't go waking one of her teammates or her old sensei at this hour. Well, she could, but Kiba is probably still mad at her, Shino is away on a mission, and she is pretty sure that Kurenai is spending the night at Auzma's. She didn't have very many other close friends who would take her in, none other then Sakura, but would the pinkette be alright with her staying the night, especially if it was so late and sudden?

A sudden drop of water on the top of her head startled Hinata. And her mind was quickly made up when several more droplets hit her. By the time she was at Sakura's door, she was dripping wet, cold, and she overall felt like crap.

She didn't hesitate in knocking on the door loudly, then ringing the doorbell several times just to insure that Sakura heard her before knocking again. It only took Sakura a minute to open the door and when she did her lovely green eyes widened and all but dragged Hinata inside. "Are you insane? It's poring out there, Hinata-chan. My god, you're dripping wet. Stay here, I'll get you a towel."

Sakura was then gone and Hinata was left wondering exactly why Sakura looked like she was about to leave on a mission when she was fairly sure that Sakura was on leave for the next month.

* * *

><p><strong>Like it? Love it? Hate it?<strong>

**Tell me! Pretty Please with a cherry on top?**

**-Whoa. I wasn't expecting it to come out this long again. Oh well, another long chapter for you guys! I hope I made this one better then the last and gave more reason for Hinata to be banished (I actually think Hiashi does care for her).**

**-In the next chapter, Hinata and Sakura decide to leave, but avoiding Konoha shinobi who are determined to find them is harder then it looks.**

**-Rose**


	3. You Can Run

**Love, Hate, and the Agony In-Between**

_**(**__**EDIT 2/22/14**__**: **__I've gotten rid of a few of the OC's who didn't make the cut when I was re-writing my plot plans. They just weren't needed and I want to avoid using them. Also cleaned up the spelling and grammar a bit.)_

**Hello all of my new readers! You have no idea how thrilled I was when your comments came to me being mostly positive.**

**Late, Late, Late, why am I always so late with updating?**

**Warning: Changing of Character Personalities, and Some Characters Created by Yours Truly.**

**If I owned Naruto, Sakura would die. But I don't own Naruto, and Sakura will probably live to see the end. Damn it.**

**Chapter Three- You Can Run . . .  
><strong>

* * *

><p>It was something about hot chocolate that just brought comfort to Hinata. The sweet drink always managed to make her feel better. She had sweet memories of her youth, back when her mother would make the best hot cocoa in all of Konoha for herself and her father as a comfort food. Sakura didn't know this fact and Hinata didn't mention it, she just accepted the warm drink with a polite 'thank you' and took small sips of it while her hair and clothes dried.<p>

It is now, curled up on Sakura's couch with a blanket wrapped around her and her hair still a bit damp, that she worked up the nerve to ask Sakura the question that was haunting her mind. "Sakura-san, forgive me for asking, but why are you dressed like you are going on a mission?" The question was asked quietly, since the one asking it half hoped that Sakura wouldn't hear it. But Sakura was a ninja, and a good one at that, so she had trained her sense of hearing to be sharper then most and the question was heard clearly.

There was a long pause after the question was asked and Hinata thought that Sakura hadn't heard her, but Sakura had stopped sharpening her numerous shuriken so Hinata took it as a sign. Sakura seemed to be debating something and must have come to a conclusion because her sholders dropped and she sighed.

"I'm leaving Konoha, but it's not for a mission."

That was the last answer Hinata had been expecting to hear. Had she even heard her right? Maybe the rain outside was louder then she realized.

"Pardon?"

"I'm leaving the village, Hinata, and I will not be coming back," Sakura repeated. It was a long moment of silence. Sakura didn't say anything; she only went back to sharpening her weapons.

'_Alight_,' Sakura thought. '_I managed to scrape together roughly nineteen-hundred ryo_, _I have most of my weapons packed, a spare set of cloths, the picture of Aunty Mebuki and Uncle Kizashi, my new Team Kakashi picture, and the bracelet Daddy gave me. Is that everything?'_

'_**I thought we were going to take that glass cherry blossom that Ino gave us last year for our birthday,'**_ Inner reminded. Sakura put the last of her sharpened weapons in her backpack, biting the inside of her lip as she thought it through.

'_Do I really want to keep a reminder of that—"_

'_**That backstabbing whore of a frienemy?'**_

The corner of Sakura's mouth twitched into a smile for a second. _'I was going to say jerk, but that works too.'_

Sakura got the feeling inside her mind that Inner's palm had made contact with her face. _**'That is the weakest insult I have ever heard. Honestly, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have a clue how to insult people! You better be thankful.'**_

'_Immensely.'_ Sakura stood from her seat on the floor, feeling Hinata's pale eyes watching her every move. She crossed the room without pause, reaching her destination- the glass coffee table that held small trinkets and pictures. She grabbed the small-ish glass cherry blossom that had been a gift from Ino last year. The glass was cold, and fit nicely in the palm of her hand. She trailed her thumb across one clear petal, admiring how a faint hint of pink came to the glass when the light hit it. '_**Pretty,' **_Inner stated.

"It is, isn't it?" Sakura asked out loud.

Hinata watched as her friend tested the weight of the glass flower by tossing it up a bit and catching it a few times. A gasp escaped her when Sakura suddenly snapped her arm out and threw the object at the wall. The glass shattered loudly against the wall and fell to the carpet. Hinata could still make out a few shards that had once formed a blossom.

Silence rang heavily in the air. Hinata looked away from the mess and at the one who caused it. The ex-Hyuga quickly covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her gasp. Sakura- violent, skilled, strong Sakura- looked scary. Her eyes were darker with rage and her body was tense, ready to attack the next thing that moved. Her mouth was curled in a silent snarl and her fists were shaking. Hinata had never seen her like this before. Yes, she had seen Sakura angry and had seen her fighting, but this was completely different. She wasn't annoyed by something Naruto said or fighting against a rival; she was in a fucking _rage_, and Hinata was genuinely scared.

"S-Sakura..." Hinata hated- absolutely _hated_- how her voice trembled. "Are… are you okay…?"

A short, airy chuckle came from Sakura's throat. The pinkett breathed in deeply, tangled one of her pale hands into her short hair, and exhaled shakily. "No, not really, Hinata-chan. I want to leave this village behind. I want to go home and I want to be hugged by my dad again. He sent me here for protection and training, and now I have no reason to stay. Tsunade has taught me almost very thing and I have no more to learn from her. Kakashi stopped teaching me a long time ago- hell, he hardly ever trained me to do anything! I don't have many emotional ties now, other then you, my team, and few others who I'm sure wont miss me. Nothing is holding me back now, so why not?"

"Sakura-san, what are you—"

"I'm going home Hinata! How else am I going to explain this to you? I have no reason to stay here in Konoha, so I'm going back to my home village. And don't you dare try to stop me, because I will not tolerate it and I really don't want to fight you Hinata." With that, Sakura walked over to her already packed bag and slugged it over her shoulder. She left the living room and grabbed her white cloak, throwing it on before leaving her house and beginning her walk out of the village.

Hinata sat there in Sakura's living room, staring at the place Sakura once stood. The poor girl was in a shock. She had all the facts, but the answer didn't make since. Of all the ninja in Konoha, Sakura had been one of the last anyone would expect to leave. It didn't fit. She knew that Sakura was upset about the Tsunade incident, but to up and leave the village because of it? No, it couldn't be the Kiba incident. Sakura was far too independent and strong to let a guy get to her like that. So what was it?

Did she truly just want to go home? Hinata couldn't blame her entirely. She hasn't even been away from her home for a full night, and she already longed to go back. Knowing that she no longer had a place to call home was terrifying and she felt that the only way to get rid of that fear is her father hugging her once more, if only once more. Sakura hadn't seen her father in more then ten years. Hinata supposed that after that long, anyone would be desperate to see their beloved parent again.

It took her almost a full minute, but Hinata jumped from Sakura's couch and was out the door and outside in the rain again. She ran as fast as she could to the entrance of the village, hoping that she would be able to get to Sakura in time. It was almost three in the morning and most of the village, minus the late-night workers and clubbers, was asleep.

Hinata managed to catch up to Sakura as she was about to leave the village and called out her name. Thankfully, Sakura heard her over the heavy rain and stopped. "Hinata? What the hell are you doing out he—"

"Take me with you," Hinata requested. "I don't care where you go, just let me come with you!"

"Mama, Mama, it's time ta' get up, Mama." Natsu rolled over on her side and grabbed a hold of the energetic six-year-old who was jumping on her single bed. Pulling her sons ankle swiftly sent him on his back, his body bouncing a bit after landing and giggling like crazy, Natsu smiled a bit and rubbed at her eyes.

The young woman sat up in bed and pulled her son closer to her, then began raining tickles on his ribs and any place her sneaky fingers could get. "Akira, you silly boy, it's Saturday, remember? This is the only day Mama gets to sleep in and you normally sleep until noon. Why so excited?" His only response was to shriek with laughter and beg her to stop, which she did. Once Akira had calmed down (though he did keep a close eye on her hands, just to be on the safe side) he climbed over Natsu and got out of bed, tugging at his mothers arm impatiently.

"Come on, Mama. Hina-Chan left us a letter and a lot of yummy looking food! Come see, come see!"

Now that managed to get Natsu out of bed. When she entered her kitchen, she found all of the cabinets where open and full of food. She suspected that the fridge and freezer where the same. On the table was a large, purple velvet bag and a small note beside it. Natsu didn't even need to guess who it was all from.

_To my dear Akira and Natsu,_

_Inside the pouch is enough money to pay for six years of teaching at the ninja academy. Also inside, is an extra 100,000 ryo, just in case of emergency._

_Do not tell anyone you have this money. Some people are not above thievery. Do not tell anyone that Akira is going to the academy either, since they will get suspicious about where you are getting the money._

_Akira, you will make a wonderful ninja one day, one who I will be proud to have known. Natsu, thank you for being a second mother to me. I'm sorry I cannot help you both more._

_With love forever,  
>Hinata<em>

"Mama, look, Hina-chan got my favorite cereal! Can I have some, please?" Akira asked, holding onto the brightly colored box. Natsu smiled down at him lovingly.

"Of course. Ninja's need to have at least a little meat on their bones after all." Akira's face lit up. "We well go down to the academy and get you signed up for the year later today, okay?"

"Really Mama?! Really?!" For the next hour, Natsu listened to her son talk about how exciting ninja training was going to be and how he would make Hinata and his mama proud.

The sound of hard knocking filled a quiet house. The knocking was just a bit softer then pounding, but the yelling made more then enough noise. "Sakura-Chan! We know you are upset, but hiding in there won't make it any better!"

Silence. A loud, frustrated sigh. Or maybe it was an airy groan. Maybe a soft growl? I don't know what that sound was, okay.

"If she hasn't come out yet, what makes you think she will now?"

Two blonds gave a dirty look. One raven-haired boy ignored it as he normally did. He was much too busy examining his short nails to pay much mind to them.

"Sakura, please~! Let me in, we need to talk!" Ino begged/whined at the closed door.

Silence. Ino hit the door -surprisingly not breaking it- and growled.

"God damn it, Forehead!"

"Good idea, Ino- lets insult her. That should make her open the door."

Three heads turned to see the new arrivals. Amaya Hyuga and a very irritated Hanabi Hyuga stood behind them, Amaya with an amused smirk and Hanabi with a blank stare.

Naruto turned fully to address them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were coming over to see if Sakura knew where Hinata was. We have been searching all over Konoha for her."

Word of the Hyuga's ex-heiress' banishment had spread like wild fire throughout the village, everyone adding their two-cents about it and twisting the story to their liking. The rumor mill had gone crazy and Hinata and the Hyuga clan were the talk of the village. Some said that Hinata had fallen pregnant and now any man who had ever been kind to her was a possible father. Others thought that Hiashi had found out about her secret (obvious) feelings for Naruto Uzumaki and wouldn't accept her as a daughter any longer. One of the more popular rumors was that Hiashi had beaten Hinata after she refused to marry a rich lord and had thrown her into the street himself.

"We thought she may have stayed with a friend last night, but no one has seen her since yesterday afternoon and she didn't tell anyone where she would be staying," Hanabi explained.

Ino growled at the door again. Poor door. It's being so abused this morning. "Well, either Sakura is sleeping like the dead or she isn't home."

"Or she's ignoring you."

Amaya's elbow met Hanabi's side for that comment and Ino glared.

Sasuke finally spoke up "If she isn't home, where would she be? No one has seen her today and she didn't go to her shift at the hospital, or come to training with us."

"Have you thought of breaking into her house?" Amaya suggested, only half teasing.

"Criminal," Sasuke accused with a teasing smirk.

Naruto grinned at the duo. "As if you wouldn't be her partner in crime," Naruto snickered.

"That would be Neji," Sasuke pointed out. "Where is he anyway?"

Aparently, Hanabi had gotten tired of all the chit chat and turned to Amaya. "Why are you just standing around talking when we should be looking for Hinata?!" Amaya gave a surprised noise at Hanabi before giving her an apologetic look.

"Hanabi-sama, we've been searching for Hinata since Hiashi-Sama explained to you what had happened last night. You have five of the branch family searching all of Kohana. Neji is questioning her teammates and friends. Hinata is sure to turn up soon so please-"

"Don't think that you have any authority over me, Amaya-nee! I want my sister back home where she belongs and I want her back now!"

The sound of a door opening made Hanabi turn her attention elsewhere.

"Hey! Sakura's door is open! Let's go inside."

Amaya looked at Naruto in disbelief. "You mean you haven't even tried opening the door?"

"We try not to make a habit of breaking and entering, Amaya."

"Shut up, Sasuke."

Hanabi was the first to take action by shoving Naruto aside and entering the house. "Onee-Chan, are you in here?"

Silence greeted her. Hanabi looked ready to punch someone.

"I don't think Sakura's home you guys," Ino pointed out.

Amaya, ever with a comeback, voiced her opinion. "What was your first clue?"

"Wow. What happened in here…?"

Ino gasped when she entered the living room. "I gave her that for her birthday! Why did she break it?" Ino said in distress. The broken bits of glass laid shinning in the afternoon light.

"What makes you think she's the one who broke it?" Sasuke pointed out. "… I think we need to go tell the Hokage about this" Going to the Hokage meant that the girls' disappearances were now a big deal, and no one wanted that.

"I'm with the Teme on this one. Something just isn't right about this."

"Why is that?"

"Sakura-Chan is a neat-freak. No way she'd be able to just walk away from a mess like this. Something must have happened."

"That and I found a long strand of violet hair on her couch. Sound familiar?"

Hanabi then grabbed her cousins upper arm and tried to drag the taller girl out the door. "Let's go already!"

**-Four Hours Later-  
>-Tsunade's Office-<strong>

"What do you mean you can't find them?!" Tsunade snapped at the team of ANBU in her office.

"Hinata and Sakura Haruno are not in the village, Madam Hokage. We have searched everywhere possible."

Shizune bit her bottom lip nervously. "Do you think they…?" The question went unfinished, and hung in the air for a long moment. Tsunade did not seem too pleased with Shizune voicing the question on everyone's mind. "Haven't you found _anything?_"

"One of Sakura Haruno's neighbors claimed that he saw them leaving her house around three in the morning. He said Sakura looked like she was leaving for a mission, so he didn't think much of it at the time."

A clenched fist slammed down on Tsunade's desk. Silence filled the room for a few tense moments before Tsunade stood from her desk. Tsunade's voice was dead serious and dark. "Organize a search for them. Look through the village one final time and search for clues in Sakura's apartment. Question the members of the Hyuga clan, Hinata and Sakura's teammates, and Ino for information about their whereabouts. If we find nothing, organize a search. If we cannot find them before the month is out, then the search turns into a hunt and they will be pronounced rouge ninja's. Get Team Ruki and Team Taka to begin questioning the Hyuga clan. Team Sachi is to search the north. . ."

**-Later That Same Day-**

News of the search stunned the village. It was extremely rare that a shinobi abandons their village and to have two loyal shinobi who had protected the village for years already to do so was almost unthinkable. Sakura and Hinata were now the biggest scandal since Sasuke Uchiha came back and everyone was talking about it.

Naruto made his opinion known. "No! Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan wouldn't do something like this! They couldn't!"

"Naruto, every minute you spend arguing is another minute that Hinata and Sakura are getting farther away from the village. Now shut up and do your job," Sasuke snapped harshly, having grown tired of his friends ranting twenty minutes ago. The Hokage was assighning teams to search for the girls and Sasuke's probation had been temporarily dismissed so he could help, but he was being put into a strong group who could keep an eye on him.

"They have been loyal ninja's to the village all their lives! You can't think that they would just drop everything, every friendship, and leave! Sakura has been our teammate since we-!"

Kakashi apparently was getting sick of his speech too. "That's enough, Naruto. If Sakura and Hinata were taken, we will find them, but if they left on their own, they must face the punishment for those actions."

"How can you say that?!"

"That's the way it is, all we can do is help with the search and pray that they are alright, Naruto."

"I cannot believe that you would—"

"Shut up already!"

* * *

><p><strong>Like it, Love it, Hate it?<strong>

**Tell me! Please~**

**-Next time, we will stalk Sakura and Hinata as they are stalked by Konoha ninja and find out someone has a crush on Hinata.**

**-Sorry that it took so long, but my laptop decided it hated me and crashed a while ago. Don't you love it when that happens?**

**-Please, please, please, **_**please**_** tell me what you think of my writing, my OC's, and anything else. I would love it if you criticized or praised me so that I can become a better writer.**

_(Rose- This chapter was originally written on January 13, 2012. That's more than two years since I wrote… how do I have followers?)_

**-Rose**


End file.
